About 500 boxes of Crest White Strips should do the trick! :)

Seriously though, the way I understand it, the typical WMP yellowing is not ON the wrap, but IN it. It's like a convertible top window - once the plastic has turned yellow, it IS yellow, and there's nothing you can do that will make it clear again. I've read about people using solvents to melt away some of the yellowed plastic that is now the surface layer of the drum wrap, which would make it so that you're looking through less of the yellowed plastic coating to see the design underneath, but that wouldn't actually whiten the wrap, it just makes it thinner and easier to see through - and presumably, more fragile.

I assume you've searched the archives and discovered that your question is not an uncommon one. I know you're not asking for opinions, but I'll offer mine anyway - please feel free to ignore the following :) :

I don't understand the concept of liking/wanting/owning vintage drums, but not wanting them to look like vintage drums. Vintage drums are (generally speaking) less durable and utilitarian than new drums; in other words they work good for certain 'vintage' types of sounds, and not as great for contemporary styles of music and playing. So they're somewhat less useful and flexible, and more finicky and expensive - kind of like a vintage car. So a big part of the appeal is the way they look - the 'vintage vibe'. If someone doesn't like the vintage vibe and the way vintage drums look, why play vintage drums? [/opinion]

If you're not dissuaded from modifying your wrap, please post before and after pics of whatever you end up doing.

Scott (who prefers to think of old wrap as "mellowing" rather than "yellowing".)

I couldn't agree more. A new drum set with a shiny new WMP wrap could be had very easily. Also, bare vintage shells that need to be re-wrapped could be found fairly easily as well, if you want a vintage sound. But the aged wrap is an integral part of a vintage drum and should be preserved, if at all possible (my opinion.)

Agreed with what has already been written to the OP.

I know Tommy P, would pretty much concur, and to take highly agressive steps to try to alter this yellowing-ageing would most likely damage the finish, and the value of the Drums.

About all that can be done, is after removal of all hardware, a glazing-polishing with either a good hand glaze, or if you're proficient-expert in the use of a Buffing-Polishing machine, then a buffing with a machine, with machine glaze, followed with a wax will make the shells looks their best, and maybe a little less yellowing, but that's about it.

The analogy about an auto's convertible window is a very good one. Mark

Yes, take it from someone who has had a few convertible tops with yellowed windows :)

The point is, it's not like you can remove the yellow, and there would still be a perfectly clear layer left underneath. Once the plastic has yellowed to a certain point, it's yellowed through and through. By dissolving some of the thickness of the yellow plastic, theoretically you'd be able to see through what's left more easily, but doing so seems like it would be so much work and so potentially damaging, it hardly seems worth the effort. It seems like it would be WAY more work than just recovering the drum, with a lot bigger chance of bad results.

Scott

Those are really good points, and I understand what you are saying completely. And after hearing your compelling arguments toward just cleaning it as best as I can and then playing it that is exactly what I will do!!!! Appreciate your advice and as always this forum rules!!

I recieved a luddy floor tom for my birthday that was originally WMP but had been painted black. I stripped the black paint off and the finish was pretty "mellowed" and a little dull from the stripper. I took it to my drummer friend thats is a painter body man and he polished it with 3M plastic headlite polish, and I coulda swore it took some of the yellow out of it. It still is yellowed somewhat, but looks sooo purdy!

As far as the convertible top window is concerned, I have replaced at least 1,000 of those in my life. The plastic starts yellowing and progresses to blackening then disintegrates. It becomes so brittle that when they put the top down, thats all she wrote! hehe lol. This is the time of year that people get thier convertibles out and put the top down , and wham!!!! the plastic window breaks, except most convertibles have real glass windows now days, that come unglued accross the bottom of the glass eventually. we're replacing a top on a mercedes right now that has plastic windows. He came in to get the windows replaced and i sold him a whole new top. business is good!